Complicated
by fictionwarrior876
Summary: Post X3.Logan is grieving Jean's death, and Rogue is depressed over her breakup with Bobby. Each tries to heal the other's wounds, but what comes from this is a growing attraction to the other.
1. Break Up

Chapter 1: Break Up

Logan tensed as he picked up a sound echoing through the mansion as he left the Danger Room. Kind of a crumbly sound, like it was broken, or just halting. Crying.

He picked up his pace through the halls, moving out to where the sound was coming from more strongly. It was a muffled noise, and he began to recognize the soft shuddery gasps coming from the common room just ahead. He picked up another sound, a soft, haunting melancholic tune coming from the same place. Logan had a pretty sure idea on the source of the noise, and lost the uneasy look and straightened up, and strode towards the door. _Those damn kids left the tv on again. Geez._

But he placed a hand on the doorknob, and picked up a familiar scent. He sniffed the air again, to be certain; it was still that comforting smell, of that person who lingered in his thoughts. Finally, Logan pushed the door open, and saw Rogue curled up on the couch, clinging to a pillow, back to him. The music flowed softly from a radio in the corner, its sad lyrics hitting Logan with a feeling of something that he did not want to think about. Shaking his head, he started forward, and sat on the other end of the couch. The room was dark except for the big windows on the other side of the room letting in a sliver of moonlight. It was eerie, like grief. It reminded him of those empty memories after Jean had died. He groaned inwardly. This was not something that he needed to be thinking about. He needed to move on, and dwelling on her wasn't doing any good.

Turning back to Rogue, Logan saw her gaze resting on him. The moon reflected the glistening cheeks, and he turned to face the cold hearth. He shifted, and then turned to face her again after some time. She was looking out the window now, staring at the moon.

"Nice moon."

She seemed startled at this sudden move for conversation, but her eyes didn't waver from their original target.

" I guess..."

There was another long pause, and Logan started up again.

"You gonna tell me?"

"What's there to tell?"

"You know what. So spill. I can tell something's up."

"Why should I, Logan? What the hell do you care? Besides…"

She looked him over, staring at his bleeding wounds, and tired face.

" You look like you have enough problems."

"You're damn right I do, and I don't need to be wasting my time on people who don't give a crap. Now, what happened? Don't feed me that 'nothing' shit, I don't buy it for a second."

Another pause followed, and the bleeding ceased, and the wounds began to fade. The only hints of what had happened were the tears and slashes on his clothes. Logan watched Rogue, then after no response, shifted as if to get up. She glanced back over at him.

"Wait."

He paused, and looked back over to her, his head cocked slightly at an angle.

"It's…. Bobby. He and I…well, we weren't exactly on the same page…I guess is one way of putting it. We broke up."

Logan sat there keenly observing Rogue's movements, and tried to find out how affected she was by all this. It was deep, he could tell. But there was something else she wasn't telling him. He waited for her to go on.

"What happened, then? I know it wasn't just that whole 'we needed our space' junk. I doubt that this was mutual, too."

"Well, you're right on that point, Logan. It wasn't mutual. But the whole space thing, …it's sorta there. We… he… didn't need me anymore Logan."

Rogue turned slowly to face Logan, and he could see that silent tears crept down her face again.

"He didn't love me Logan."

Logan's face began to harden in the darkness, and he felt his hands clench. _This bub is messing with the wrong girl…_

"I…walked in on him and …someone else. He looked at me then, and it was weird. Like that happy look he used to get in his eyes when he saw me…that sparkle of life that made me realize how much he loves me…gone. It was as if something had shut down."

She paused, wiping her eyes, and took a deep breath. She looked back up to where Logan had sat, to face nothing.

"Logan…" she whispered. Then turning again, she looked out the window at the waning moon, and felt the waves of melancholy hit her hard, and began to cry again.

When he realized how torn up Rogue was over Bobby, he got mad. No one should have to go through that broken feeling of getting replaced, of losing that thing you thought was forever. She didn't deserve this.

As he marched down the hallway to that certain door, another thing hit him. Bobby was one of the reasons Rogue had even gotten the cure. He had been the one to suggest it, the one to instill the thought in her mind, she had told him. And still, he threw her away. This punk was running on his last nerve. And this was not the best time to be doing it either.

Finally, he came up on the door he'd been hunting. He sensed people inside, and growled in anger as he heard light laughter coming from inside. This was really pissing him off. Rogue was off depressed over this loser, and here he was, laughing around. _Insensitive bastard._

He resisted breaking the door down, and knocked loudly. The laughing inside stopped, and he heard Bobby say, "Rogue, it's over. Go away. You need to just get over it. I know I have. Find someone else."

Last straw. Logan knocked once more, and heard a groaning, then the shuffle of feet. The door opened, and Bobby poked his head out.

"What the..."

Logan threw his fist full into his face, and watched him fall heavily on the ground. He scanned the room, and saw another student wrapped up in a sheet in the bed. He grunted, and threw a kick at the fallen boy's side. Bobby groaned, and lied motionless. The girl in the bed gasped, and stared at Bobby with her jaw slack.

Logan turned to face her.

" He'll live. Get your damn clothes on and scram."

Turning back again to see the body on the floor, he spat just right of his head, and left.

That bastard messed with the wrong people on the wrong night.

There would be results of the knockout, but he couldn't care less. All he could think about was Jean.

He didn't stop his thought of her this time, and every moment brought more pain. He felt his claws rip out, and he swiped hard at the wall, and swung again and again. Each sing was more powerful than the last, and he couldn't erase the thought of her no matter how much he destroyed. He felt one of this claws catch skin, and the flooding pain of the wound singing in his head. For a moment, he felt Jean disappear, but come back again moments later.

He attacked himself there in the hallway, and felt with each blow the memories of her dimmed, like the world around him was dimming. But no matter how many times he scarred himself, no matter how much blood he lost, he could never go far enough to put her out of his thoughts.

He stopped, feeling the tears on his face. He looked around him as if in a stupor, seeing the total damage to everything, and the amount of blood on the floor. He stood there panting and dripping blood, and felt himself come back from the rage and slip into numbing grief. He closed his eyes again, and saw her face resting peacefully in his mind, smiling.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he barreled down the hallway in the direction of the Danger Room again quickly before he could be found with his damage.


	2. Sympathy

Chapter 2: Sympathy

Rogue woke up on the couch in the common room to hear a stream of loud chatter and footfalls in the hallway. She blinked, and groaned as the harsh sunlight hit her eyes. She curled back again, trying to sleep, but the noises outside were increasingly louder.

Grumbling, Rogue stood, wincing at the sore, cramped muscles in her back that were still stiff from a rough night on the small couch. Stretching and yawning, she made her way through the room and to the door. The hallway was crammed with students trying to catch a glimpse of something, but the crowd was too dense to break a path through, so shrugging, Rogue headed to her room.

Kitty wasn't there, but that was a relief. She didn't want to be having to explain what had happened between her and Bobby right yet. All she felt like doing right then was hibernate, to just crawl up in the bed and never wake up. She couldn't cry any longer, but she still felt that hollow place in her chest that ached with every thought of Bobby.

Robotically, she went through the motions of getting her most comfortable pajamas on, not being able to stay in the clothes that she had been dumped in any longer. She then crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head. _Just let me die…_

Kitty Pryde burst into the room she shared with Rogue, and saw triumphantly the body of her roommate curled up in her bed. A look of relief and curiosity sat simply on her face as she moved over to her friend's bed and began to shake her gently awake.

"Hey sleeping beauty! Wake up! Storm's been looking everywhere for you. She needs to talk to you about something. You know, I noticed you weren't in here last night, because your stuff was untouched, and you weren't here when I woke up. So where were you last night, hmm?"

Kitty got a mischievous look on her face. "I'll bet you were with Bobby again last night, weren't you?"

A soft gasping sound came from under the covers, and Kitty's grin faded as her eyes grew wide.

"Rogue? Rogue! Rogue, what happened? What happened last night?"

She pulled down the covers, and saw her roommate's red, swollen face leaking tears.

"Oh man. Rogue. Rogue, you gotta tell me what happened. Did it have to with Bobby?"

Rogue began to cry harder, and buried her face in her hands as she nodded slightly.

Kitty grew anxious, and pulled her friend up into a sitting position, and began to rub her back.

"You wanna tell me what happened between you two?"

Rogue shook her head between sobs, then began to cry harder, her breath racked with moaning gasps. Kitty sat on the bed cradling her, making soft humming noises. She could tell something big happened, because she almost never saw Rogue cry. It was a little unnerving at first.

Kitty was trying to decide how to ask Rogue what had happened again, when she spoke up quietly.

"Bobby's gone, Kitty."

"What d'you mean, Rogue? I saw him a little while ago. I mean, sure, he's a little banged up, but at least he's still alive."

"No, Kit, I mean 'gone' as in he dumped me. It's over."

Rogue paused, and turned to Kitty, processing what she'd just said.

She continued. "I …walked in on him and some chick getting it on when I went to go tell Bobby I was back. You know, from getting the cure. I hadn't seen him for a couple days, and I couldn't find him anywhere. I'd checked his room a couple times, and asked around, but no one had seen him. I was going to his room again to find that I heard something inside. I knocked, and there was a pause. I knocked again, and Bobby poked his head out the door. I tried to kiss him, but he pushed me away. He told me to cut it out, that I was dangerous. Then, I heard a girl's voice in the room call, 'Hey Bobby who is it? If it's Kelly, tell her I left the brush on the tub, and get back to bed.' I pushed the door open wider, and saw someone on Bobby's bed, and there were clothes on the floor, and she…he…"

Rogue burst into a new crying jag. Kitty's mouth formed an O as she rubbed Rogue's back and tried to comfort her. She'd suspected something, but hadn't thought too much of it.

"I am so sorry, Rogue. I mean, I heard rumors and small gossip here and there, but honestly, I didn't think it was all that true. I saw how in love with you Bobby was, and how it didn't seem like him at all to do something like that, but wow…to actually discover it like that…that must've been hard."

She nodded, and wiping her eyes, continued ruefully, " Well, I guess I'm not the only one to misjudge him."

Rogue sighed, and looked out the window a moment, watching a bird on the windowsill before it flew off. She turned back to face Kitty.

"It's just…oh, I don't know…I still love him. I know shouldn't but-"

"Of course you do, Rogue. I'm not surprised. You two dated a long, long time, and you were really close. What Bobby did…he's just an asshole for it. And look at it this way; if you hadn't found out now, it would've been worse to find out later if you'd had any physical relations, you know? Still, it's natural to feel cruddy after this. But, sometime soon, you'll learn to live again, and maybe you'll find someone else who's way better than Bobby. Truthfully, you'll probably never forget Bobby, because you loved him. But you'll be able to remember him less in time."

" I guess so. Hey, how do you know so much, Kit? How'd you get to be such an expert?"

"Well, when mom got left by dad, I saw how much it affected her. Plus, I've had a broken heart before. Everyone has one eventually. You just need a couple of good friends, some good movies, and Rocky Road ice cream to get by. "

"Mint Chocolate Chip."

"Fine, Mint Chocolate Chip. And you may not want the sympathy now, but you'll still have to face it. Try to handle it as well as you can, and just breathe. You'll get through this."

"Whatever."

"Hey, we gotta go. Storm sent me up here an hour ago looking for you. She seemed really urgent to talk to you. Here, let's take the short route."

With that, Kitty grabbed Rogue's hand and pulled her through the floor. They landed in the headmaster's office, which was now Storm's. She was pacing around the room, and jumped a little when the two girls fell through the ceiling.

"Oh, good, you're here. I was beginning to-"

She paused, and looked at Rogue, who was still pjs and had a red face and messy hair. Storm's face softened, and she smiled sadly. "Kitty," She said, turning to face her.

"I need you to leave and help the other seniors round the others up and put them in their rooms. There's been enough going on, and I don't want any more trouble."

"Sure." Kitty threw a reassuring smile to Rogue, then ran through the nearest wall.

Storm turned again to face Rogue, who shuffled to a seat on one side of the desk and sat.

"Kit said you wanted me."

"Yes, Rogue. There was something that happened last night. I'm sure you already know what."

"No, m'am."

"Well, Bobby," Rogue flinched at his name. "Was knocked out, and severely traumatized last night. A female student witnessed the event, and said that Logan had knocked on the door and beaten Bobby. We're lucky he's still alive, but it'll take awhile to fully recover. As for Logan…We found blood, in a hallway. A lot of blood." Storm said quietly. "There was a destroyed wall, full of claw marks, and the pools of blood. We found Logan later, passed out in the Danger Room. Thanks to his mutation, he should be okay in a couple hours, but he's completely phased out. He's taking Jean's death hard. When we found him…he had claw marks on his body everywhere. His mutation kept him from death, but even still, he did a lot of damage. That's why we need you, Rogue."

Rogue glanced up at Storm, eyes full of uncertainty.

"What could I do? I don't know how I could help him, and I sure as hell don't think I'm up for it anyway. I just got dumped by Bobby, as my apparel clearly displays, and I don't think I'm the best for the job. I'm about in the same boat as him. Instead of helping, I might end up worsening it."

"It's because you're in the same boat that you'll be able to help. You understand what he's going through better than the rest of us, and besides, you're the only one he'll listen to. Please," Storm pleaded. "Please try."

Rogue looked taken aback. This was just another pile of shit about to be dumped in her plate, and yet…she knew that she'd do it. Logan had always been there for her, so it made sense.

"Fine. I guess I could."

"Great. Thank you so much."

"But I can't promise I'll be willing or happy about it."

"I wouldn't expect it."

"Good."

Rogue stood to leave, and paused a moment. "Where the hell is he, anyway?"

"Where do you think?"

"I don't know, that's why I asked you."

"His room."

"Okay then."

Rogue turned and strode of the room, leaving a feeling of hostility behind. Storm shook her head and looked out the window. _They'll get along real well_, she thought amusedly.


	3. Misery Loves Company

Chapter 3: Misery Loves Company

**I'm a little disheartened by the reviews, but nonetheless, I still will continue to update. I can't promise they'll be as close together as these first few, since I don't really have the Internet all the time, and I have to use the library's computers. But, I'll do the best I can. Yeah. So, here it is!**

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Rogue left Storm's office and headed down the hall to Logan's room. She was depressed enough over the fact that her boyfriend had cheated on her, but the having to deal with Logan really made the load worse, not to mention the fact that she was a little creeped out over his rage fit last night, or so Storm had said. But, she felt the same way in her current situation. As if ending it might be a little better. Rogue knew she'd never go as far as to attempt it, though. 

_At least Jean never really cheated on him_, she thought. _Unless you count the fact that it was sorta odd with Scott in the picture. Who knows what it was. Were Jean and Scott even going out then? Huh, I don't know. I think it was just they had mutual affection. Come to think of it, I don't think any of the three went out with any of the other two. _

_Hey, how'd I even get on this subject?_

Rogue shook her head in attempt to clear her thoughts, but only seemed to muddle them even more. Rogue sighed, and resumed her thinking. _If only someone loved me the way Logan loved her. If only I could find someone as good as that, I'd be happy. _

She paused in front of his door, and stared at is, tracing the grain lines with her eyes. She knew she should go in, but something held her back. Rogue couldn't help feeling as if she didn't belong anymore. Like it wasn't her place to say something to him. How the hell was she supposed to understand, what was she even supposed to say? This was something bigger than she was, and she couldn't control it. She was a stupid human, unloved by others, and outcast in both worlds. She was so different from Logan, but they were still so similar.

All the frustration piled on her, and Rogue began to feel her blood pressure rising, her heart was pounding louder, why didn't anyone hear it? All those people, talking, laughing, how did they not notice something was wrong? There was too much noise, too much pressure, too many _people. _She needed out.

"Logan," she knocked feebly. Still, the numbers of people grew, and the halls swelled, noise bursting out of every crevice. There was too much. Why wasn't he answering?

"Logan. Logan! LOGAN? LOGAN!" She was slamming her fists into the door now, and no one was coming. The people passed by, ignoring her, and Logan wasn't answering the door. Why didn't he hear her? He had to hear her.

"LOGAN!" she was now throwing herself on the door, but there was no one coming. They all had left her. She heard his voice, yelling her name, but the door was still closed, there was no Logan that she could see. He sounded too far away. Rogue whipped her head around, and saw that the halls were empty, the students all were gone, but the noise, that _noise_ was still left behind.

She felt like she was choking, something grabbing her throat and strangling her. She put her hand to her neck, but felt her arms blocked but a force she couldn't see. Rogue struggled, twisting and kicking, nothing was working, _why_ wasn't it working.

Then, she felt like she was falling. For a moment, she saw people, lots of people, all around her. And Logan. He was next to her, his hard face creased with worry. He looked like he was yelling to her, like he was right next to her. But his voice…It was so far away.

"Logan," she whispered, and fell onto a bed of white roses.

* * *

She opened her eyes a slit, and saw the room around her. For some reason, she was in the danger room. There was fire all around her, and screaming. Some one was screaming. And she, she for some reason was lying down. There were white roses all around her, and they were spread in a circle all around her, with her in the middle. When she looked off to the side, she saw so much pain, so much sadness in the barrenness. She couldn't see the pain, or the one causing it, but could sense it. Not feel it, but could tell it was just _there_. 

She didn't feel anything. Nothing hurt, she thought she was fine, but something in her subconscious told her something was wrong with her. Something she couldn't quite place then, but like with the unfelt pain, she sensed it. She couldn't feel the heat of the fire, of the prickling of thorns on the rose stems. Everything was numb.

Looking out again to the desolation, she thought she heard a familiar voice call her name, like it was a whisper carried on by the wind. But, there it was again, louder than before.

"Marie…"

Only one person called her that name.

"Logan?"

"Marie…"

She then knew that he was trapped out there in the fire. She had to help him.

She attempted to lift her arms, but they were solid stone. She tried again, and again. This just wasn't working. Instead, she tried moving every part if her body. It was as if she were rooted to the ground.

A whooshing noise caused her to notice a basin on the ground to one side. She stood lightly, and seemed to glide to where it sat. It was just filled with water, but there was something about it that captivated her. As she stared at it, a picture filled her mind of one of the rooms under the mansion, the recovery room. There were machines everywhere, beeping and whirring, light beams dancing on their screens. A few of the X men were in the corner, looking grimly at something lying on the table in a corner, where someone crouched by a motionless thing on the table. She saw wide-eyed as the thing on the table was herself, still, and away from the machines. But, why wasn't she attached to them? And why wasn't she breathing?

Rogue's breath caught in her throat as she saw Logan holding her hand as he sat next to the table. Tears leaked down his gruff face, and he whispered quietly, "Goodbye Marie."

She looked back over to where Hank and Warren were talking quietly to each other.

"She died so suddenly, sir."

_Died?_

"Yes. The concussion from the fall triggered the coma, causing her brain to collapse. Such a fragile thing, the human brain."

"When will the funeral be held?"

_Funeral?_

"Tomorrow afternoon. I've arranged for Storm to gather the students and break the news quietly. Classes are canceled for the week."

Warren nodded over to where Logan was head down on the sheets, still grasping Marie's hand. "How hard is he gonna take this?"

Hank sighed. "Very. From what I understand, they were close. I think he was the first mutant for her to encounter. Then to lose Jean, and only months later to lose her…it will be a long time before we can expect recovery."

" Do you think she died in pain, sir?"

"No. I don't think she did."

Rogue left the room suddenly, and held herself. Her breaths were long and shuddery.

_I'm dead_, she thought. Turning away from the basin, she closed her eyes. Then, she reached out and smashed it.

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**How's that for a cliffhanger? Now, just so you know, I'm far from done on this one, so I expect some reviews. I'll update as soon as I can, but I have a couple papers and a test to study for, and my home Internet is still down, but I'm doing what I can. On the plus side, the cable guy is coming Monday, so I probably will be posting more frequently. But, this time I think I'm going to wait a little until I can get some more reviews. Seriously, I feel a little bummed out. I could really do with all the reviews, and if you think I need to change something, or I'm doing ok, let me know! I'll try to follow up on the criticism. Thanks! **


	4. Lonely

Chapter 4: Lonely

**Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, who have encouraged me to update with this little chappy. Now, this is relatively short chapter, I know, but to make up for it, I'm gonna post chapter #5 right after this. But I found out I need a new router and cable connecter thingy, so I'm back to posting at the library. This is really just an add-on to my previous chapter, but I didn't think I was quite done with Rogue, and I couldn't leave it like it was, so here's the next chappy. Enjoy!

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Everything inside her was dead. She was dead. But for some reason, she wasn't anywhere but here, in this danger-room replica. She couldn't leave. Whatever was trapping her here wouldn't let her leave. If she thought about leaving, or came to the edge of the roses, she would freeze, lost in time. Everything would stop, like in a photograph, time at a halt. She sat in the center of her wall-less prison, and thought about those at the school. Especially Logan. For some reason, her mind would wander to the thought of him, warming her at the remembrance of his chiseled face. Every detail was perfect.

It hurt too much to think of him. It hurt too much to think of what she had lost.

She slumped over, and curled up into a ball. There was nothing left inside her. She was gone. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and she stared into the fiery wasteland, where she'd heard him say her name last.

_Logan._

Rogue noticed something though the corner of her eye as she lay in the ground, and shifted her head to face it. It was that damn bowl again. She fought the urge to smash it like its predecessor, and sat up a little more. Hadn't it done enough damage already? What the hell did it want from her now?

Cautiously, she slipped over to where it sat on the roses. Rogue tucked her hair behind her ears nervously, and licked her lips in agitation.

She seated herself in front of it and gripping the sides, she peered over the rim into that, blue, soft water. She saw a flicker of an image, and concentrated harder on the water, wanting more than what she was getting. A soft whooshing nose caused her to blink, and she lost sight of the water. Shutting her eyes, she prayed this vision would be more useful than the last one. Opening her eyes, she saw herself on the grounds of the school. It was a crisp, sunny autumn day, and the grass was still a swollen green colour. Rogue was surrounded by students, and waded through them to get to what they were all staring at. On the way through, she passed many kids she'd known, a lot of them crying. Others were staring blank eyed at attention. Rogue felt herself less compelled to find out what they were looking at, but more so at locating those whom she'd known.

Slowly, she circled the group, counting off mentally those she'd known, and felt remorse fill her as she saw Kitty leaning on Warren, sobbing. It was then when it hit her where she was: her funeral. Pushing her way to the front, her breath caught as she saw a gleaming mahogany casket in the center of the group, covered in flowers. A waiting hole was in the ground nearby, and she saw in the very front the rest of her most dear friends: Storm, who was giving a speech at a podium, and next to her sat Hank, Jubes, now Kitty and Warren to one side, and _Logan_. She paused when her eyes fell on his face, and felt her heart break when she saw the unmasked tears streaking down his face. He was crying for her.

She wanted more than anything to run up to him, and hug him, and have him call her 'kid' again, but she brushed this hope away. This was her _funeral_ for chrissake, and he wouldn't feel her anyway. A hollow feeling drained into her, and she knew she needed to go. She'd seen every body but…

Bobby. Where the hell was he anyway? Didn't he come?

She twisted her head to where she saw a brisk movement, and saw a couple disappear through an arch. Squirming through the masses of mourners, she raced to catch up to where she saw the people leave.

Finally, she came up in sight of them, and froze at the sight. It was Bobby, all right. He and _that girl_, the one she'd caught him with. Rogue thought her name was Jenny, or something. They were parked on a bench, with that Jenny-person crawling on top of him.

She edged closer, and saw her smile and press her tongue in his mouth, his arms sliding up her back, pulling her closer. Rogue was rooted with horror, as she saw them go farther and farther, until she couldn't bear to see them anymore.

Turning, she ran, passing the funeral service, tears finally creeping out. She pushed herself to go faster, and reached the steep ledge that hung over a deep valley. Not even caring, she ran off, and felt the ground flying up to meet her. She was already dead, inside and out. How could this make it any worse?

She sighed, and shut her eyes. _He didn't even come to say goodbye._ _It was her _funeral,_ and he didn't even come to at least watch. Rather, he was with his _new_ girlfriend, that Jenny chick, doing her, and not even caring she, Rogue, his old _girlfriend_, was dead._

She succumbed to these thoughts, and after a while began to wonder why there was no ground. Opening her eyes, she saw she was no longer at the mansion, but in her rose prison again.

_Figures. Once you're dead, you're dead. I wonder if this is how Logan feels sometimes. To want to die, but not be able to. To want stronger pain, but not be able to fully forget everything. To always have to wake up and face it all over again. _

Rogue wished she could somehow wind back time, and just be there for Logan somehow. If only he could just hear his voice again…

_Rogue. _

She sat up rigidly, and glanced around. Oh no, not this again.

_Rogue. Rogue. _

Okay, this time she knew she heard something. Was it… Could it be…

"Logan?"

"Rogue? Rogue? ROGUE? Can you hear me Rogue? Rogue, it's Logan! Rogue!"

"Logan? Logan, it's not you, is it? It can't be. I'm _dead_."

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**Okay, I know this wasn't as good of an ending as the last one, but I think' it'll do. Now, I gotta go, so I'll see y'all! Review my Lovelies!**


	5. Risen

Chapter 5: Risen

**Okay, okay, so I admit that the last chappy was a tad on the confusing side, so I apologize for those who were muddled after the recent update. So, I worked on that test studying, and I spent the rest of the night typing this, which I'm just now posting since I couldn't do it before the library closed last night. Oh, well, at least it's here now! So, voila!

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**

Logan stared tensely at Rogue's face as she slept. She lie there, barely breathing, barely alive. She was in a coma, Hank had said, but she didn't look it, more like sleeping.

Still…

She just couldn't die. He wanted, no, _needed_ her to live, for him. He'd already lost one person who had that thing about her that let her see into his soul without even trying, who could see through the hard layers, to find him, and could ignore all that he'd been. He couldn't lose the other.

"Rogue," he whispered, caressing one of her gray locks of hair. He smile sadly as he remembered how she'd obtained it.

"Rogue."

There was a slight flicker of movement in her eyelids, a barely discernable twitch, but his acute senses picked it up. Something was happening to her. She _had_ to be waking up.

He began to call her name louder. "Rogue. Rogue."

Her face scrunched up slightly, and she barely mouthed the word, "Logan?"

His heartbeat stopped, and his fingers trembled as he called her name louder.

"Rogue? Rogue? ROGUE? Can you hear me, Rogue? Rogue, it's Logan! Rogue!"

Her mouth trembled as her eyes squinted, and she mouthed again, still barely discernable, "Logan? Logan, it's not you is it? It can't be. I'm dead."

He shook her shoulders, and yelled in her ear.

"ROGUE! ROGUE! YOU GOTTA ANSWER ME, NOW ROGUE! WAKE UP! MARIE! MARIE!"

Her face seemed to blank out again, as the creases smoothed out, returning her to the state she had been in again for the last couple days. Logan's heart sank as he realized what was going on.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, ROGUE! STAY WITH ME HERE! LISTEN TO MY VOICE! ROGUE!"

The door slid open as Storm, Hank, and Warren rushed into the room. Storm ran to where Logan was still shaking Rogue's shoulders, and tried to pry his hands away.

"Logan! Logan, stop! You're hurting her! LOGAN!"

He merely brushed her away, but Warren jumped in, and slamming Logan into the far wall as Storm shook his hands free.

Logan snarled, and ran back to where Rogue was, but Hank stepped in front of him and wrestled him to the ground. "What the hell are you doing, Logan? Are you aware of how delicate she is right now? Your little episode right now may have just killed her! Are you insane?"

Storm held Rogue in her arms as she turned to face Logan, who was still struggling where Hank held him down. "Logan, what…what's up with you right now? You've been in a funk since Jean died…"

Logan flinched at the mentioning of her name, but still fought against the hairy, blue Hank pinning him on the floor.

"…and that's understandable, but the way you've been acting lately is really getting out of hand. All those sessions in the danger room, the attack on Bobby-"

"The little bastard deserved it. Goin' around, fucking some other student just cause Rogue was off, treating her as if she weren't nothing but a piece of ass. Shit hole."

"That's enough Logan, don't you even go talking about a student like that in front of me. Now, again, your behavior here has been completely unacceptable. And while I know I should, I feel that to kick another mutant out of a safe haven for other mutants is wrong, especially in times like these. So, you are going to stay until you feel like leaving. I can't stop you. But while you remain here, let me tell you, you are going to follow the rules that _every other mutant in this goddamn school follows!_"

Storm banged her fist against the railing of Rogue's cot for emphasis on the last few words, and slowly stood, approaching the wrestling pair. Hank stood, and Logan adjusted himself before standing. He turned to face Storm, his lips curled into a snarl, a gleam in his eyes.

"Dammit Logan! You almost killed Rogue! Killed her! Jesus, and you act as though you don't even care! Fine, then, you know what? I don not even want you in here anymore, got it?"

Storm was inches away from Logan's face as she glared at him.

"You are just making it worse for her, and for all of us. So STAY OUT OF THIS ROOM, LOGAN!"

"Fine then." Logan stalked over to the metal doors and disappeared through them as they closed with a faint hiss, his claws withdrawing from his clenched fists.

Storm watched him go, and groaned in anger and frustration. "Damn it, he is just so impossible! Never can you get one little word through his head unless you are Rogue or Jean! And they're both conveniently gone! Hell, I'm just so sick of all this!"

Hank examined his rips as he replied to Storm, "He needs time to heal. Granted, he has taken this a bit beyond too far, but he's had it rough."

"You're taking his side! This…This- I can't believe you, Hank!"

"I'm taking no one's side, and how dare you accuse me of so! I dare say you need to cool off a bit, Ororo. You're to frustrated to sort it all out now, and certainly too frustrated to think straight," Hank answered sharply, and nodding to where Warren stood, he left guiding Storm back up to her office.

Warren kept staring at Rogue, who lay neatly arranged on the cot with the sheets smoothed around her. She looked so peaceful, and yet, she looked so unreal. She was truely delicate at this stage, he though, a shell of herself just...lying there. It was weird to look at her, and to know that she was alive, but not to see any movement. Her chest barely rose with each breath, but her face remained placid and smooth.

Warren sighed. To think how Logan has spent all this time with her, and her being in this state. It's gotta be hard for the guy. And there was something Hank had said awhile back about some Jean character Logan was close to. No one told him what'd happened to her, but he assumed she'd either gone with someone else or left the mansion. All the same, Logan was apparently taking it hard. He could only assume that Logan and this Jean were close by what he'd picked up, and Logan's past behaviors.

And what was up with him and Rogue? It's like what Storm had said. She was the only one who get Logan to talk without becoming defensive. There was that something about her that made him feel more relaxed, more at peace. Worry free. And something about her...

He couldn't explain it, but he never wanted to be without that smile.

A slight shifting noise from the cot disturbed his thoughts. Turning his head slightly, he saw Rogue's eyes open.

"Rogue?" He said after a puase, eyes widened in shock.

She simply looked at him.

No, no she couldn't be awake...

It wasn't...how...

"Hank. I've got to tell Hank." Warren tore his face from Rogue's eye, taking a final glance before tearing from the room.

"HANK!"

* * *

**Okay, so she's not dead. I couldn't just kill her off, you know! Then who'd be there for Logan, I ask you? Hmm? Also, if you've read my story hook, then you'd know I wasn't gonna kill her off. It' be wrong, and it'd ruin my plot. So, thanks again for sticking with this story so far! I'm so happy! Oh, and if I don't post closely, it's 'cause the Internet at home is still down. Oh well. sorry about the lack of interest in the end this time. Will try to fix that in the future!**


	6. The Rut Where Everyone Dies part 1

Chapter 6: Missing You

**Alright, I've decided this: I'm not gonna wait for just a certain amount of reviews to continue with each chapter, but instead I'm gonna just post whenever I can. But you know, I still love hearing from you guys! Well, I'm not too sure if any of y'all have read the update in chapter 5, so if you haven't, I suggest you do before continuing. Seriously. Well, that's all there is on my part. Ta-da!

* * *

**

He just wanted to fade away, to burn out. He was only a danger to everyone around him, a pain in everyone's ass. He'd probably killed Rogue, the only person he really cared about now. But still, he saw what he saw. Her eyes were open, and she had something inside them that made him know she wasn't still subconscious. She'd been awake for a small moment, and now she probably wouldn't wake up again.

He raked his claws down his chest, and felt the blood seep out onto his clothes, and drip slowly to the floor. The, the pain came, ebbing into his mind, numbing his thoughts of everything except for that beautiful pain, up until his mutation sealed up the wounds. She was back again, and his head began to pound.

_Murderer. _

No he wasn't. She'd asked him for death. He didn't kill her in cold blood…

_Liar. _

"Shut the hell up. Shut up now."

_You can't touch anything without breaking it. Monster._

"No. Not a monster. Shut up."

_You can't deny it, Logan._

With a loud roar of fury, his claws ripped from his flesh, and began singing in the fierce speed, cutting through flesh like butter. The thick, ripping noise drove him further, and he tore into his torso with more power than the thought of Jean could ever make him. He was sick of this, sick of not being able to be close to someone, of hurting everyone he dared get near to. These new wounds brought only temporary relief, but he couldn't forget. His mind played the past few minutes over in his head, as if he weren't there, just watching himself shake her, harder and more violent then he'd thought. It made him sick.

He felt the world go blurry, and he looked down around himself, at the sea of red. His body looked unrecognizable, he thought mildly, and then felt the total amount of pain hit him like bricks as his mind wandered from Rogue. He knew he'd gone too far this time, and was pleased to think it might be all over soon. Finally, he'd been able to conquer his mutation.

But Rogue…

He'd probably done more damage than good to her, and it was best he just gave her up.

She didn't need his protection.

Not anymore.

Then, the world got darker, and he felt a searing pain as the fresh wounds hit hard the ground, and the red blood on them.

Finally.

* * *

"HANK! STORM!"

Warren tore down the hall, and stumbling into several students who eyed him oddly, finally managed to reach the office.

"Hank! It's Rogue! She-"

Hank and Storm stepped away from each other quickly as Warren entered, and glanced down. Warren swallowed hard, and continued. "She's awake! She opened her eyes a moment ago, and she looked at me! I swear it, she's fine!"

Hank glanced at Storm, and then turning back to Warren, gestured to the door, where the both hustled down the hall. An uncomfortable silence hung between them, and Warren knew they were both thinking about what he'd caught Storm and Hank doing. But, he didn't want to be the one to bring it up, and so left it at that.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they reached the Recovery room, where they saw Rogue sitting up on the cot, staring at the door.

"My stars. She's alright." Hank said softly, as he locked eyes with Rogue.

Rushing over to her cot, he whipped out some equipment and began to examine Rogue for anything out of the ordinary. Warren stood in the doorway, not far from her, watching. She rolled her eyes to face him, and he smiled lightly at her. She looked worn out, exhausted, as if sleeping for a full 2 days had drained her.

After about nearly an hour of blood samples, pressure tests, and poking and prodding around, Hank grunted his approval. By then, Storm had joined Warren in watching Hank work, but not to his knowledge. Therefore, when he happened to finish and look up, he startled, and clasped a hand to his chest.

"My god, Storm, you scared the life out of me. How long have you been standing there now?"

"Awhile."

Standing up, and gathering the needles filled with various blood samples, he made his way over to the small lab room across the hall, where Storm followed Hank across. Warren, feeling the need to chaperone the pair, fell in behind them. Warren's glance trailed over to Storm, and stated, " Have any of the students been asking of Rogue?"

"Many. Especially Kitty and Jubes. They've been wheedling at me, trying to get to come down here. But I didn't want them down here while she was still in that coma. Too much emotional stress."

"What about now, seeing as she's awake?"

Hank looked up, agreeing. "Yes, as a matter of fact, that should do her some good. As well as doing some good for her friends. What about getting them now to go see her?"

"Okay then. Any limit to the amount of people to her room, though? I know a lot of people will be wanting to see her for a bit."

"Best keep it to just Kitty and Jubilee. Too many people will stress Rogue out, which isn't good for her condition. And tell them to keep quiet, and not to put a lot of strain on her. Only let them visit for a short time. They can always come back later."

"Alright. See you guys."

The remaining two nodded their heads in assent, and returned to their original state.

Warren glanced at the door, and then turned to Hank.

"What about Logan, Hank? Do you think he would still be able to go and visit her after…"His voice trailed off, and he stood looking at Hank.

He nodded absentmindedly, and answered quietly, "I don't think letting him go to see her would be best for right now. You saw how emotional he was back there, all over an illusion of his mind. Imagine how he might react to actually see her awake now. It would be too much, for the both of them. But, I think breaking the news to him now will allow him some time to cool down before actually going to see her. That way, Rogue will be stronger when it comes time to see him."

Warren agreed, and paused. "Do you mind if I tell him now?"

"No. By all means, go. The sooner, the better, I'd think. We don't want him getting into another one of those dangerous mood swings he gets into now. I'm not sure where he went, but let me know when you've found him."

Warren smiled. "Thanks Hank."

Hank grunted in response, and turned back to the task at hand as Warren disappeared to find Logan.

* * *

Warren was getting a little concerned by now. He'd been tracking down Logan for quite some time now, and all to no avail. _Where the hell was this guy, anyway?_

Shaking his head in frustration, he was about to give up and head back to his room to get a little sleep, when he was nearly plowed over by Storm, who was hastening to the lower levels.

"Whoa, Storm, what's up?"

She turned to him, with worry creasing her face. "It's Logan."

"Finally! You know where he is, Geez, I must've been looking for him everywhere all afternoon!"

Something about her told Warren that there was something wrong. "What?"

She took a deep breath, and began to stride quickly down the hall, Warren jogging to follow her. "Like I said, it's Logan. A group of students found him in the danger room. He's had another attack. This time, it was much worse. This time," She paused, turning away. "This time, there was too much blood."

* * *

**Okay, that's all I can do for now. I have some stuff to do, so I'm gonna leave it at that. But thanks again to all my lovely reviewers. Now, fortunately enough for me, I'm gonna be at someone's house who actually has working Internet, so I just might post if I feel like it. So, thanks to all those who support Rogans, and have a happy turkey day! I'll update soon! R&R, and stuff your guts! Man, I love this holiday!**

**-Kat**


	7. The Rut Where Everyone Dies part 2

Chapter 7: Dead, But Not Forgotten

**Wow! I know, 2 updates in 2 days! I wasn't planning to write this so soon, but you know, I decided to head up to the family's house a day early, and just spend some quality writing with the computer! Now, this is _really_ short, but then again, we mustn't forget how recently I updated! So, to all again: Thanks, and bottoms up!

* * *

**

She lay there, worn out and completely confused. One moment, she'd been in the danger room, dead and bitter, but now…

Well, she wasn't sure what the hell had happened, only that she had _somehow_ appeared in the recovery room. Huh. But, on the plus side, that could only mean two things: One, she was still dead, and her mind was playing tricks on her. Or, two, she was having a bad dream of some sort, and really wasn't dead. If it was the first, oh well, still dead.

If it was the second, however, then how'd she wind up in the recovery room of all places? She couldn't remember anything about going into the danger room, nor of how she got out. She possibly could have thought the whole thing was a dream, if not for the fact of it being so damn vivid.

She thought it was probably around the time she'd been sent by Storm to go to Logan's room to help him, talk to him that she'd gone to the danger room. But she never did go to either. Rogue couldn't remember why exactly, but she just didn't. There was the image of blackness outside in the hall, but then she was suddenly in the danger room.

The doors hissed as they opened, and Hank strode in confidently and pulled a stool up to the bedside. "Rogue," He said, capturing her attention, as she shifted slightly to face him without hurting her neck, which she just realized was throbbing painfully.

"Rogue, how are you this bright morning? Hopefully not too pained, I would assume."

She opened her mouth to talk, but had to cough several times to get enough voice back to speak hoarsely to Hank, "Been better, I guess."

"Well, now, at least you're able to speak audibly after being in your condition for as long as you were."

She scrunched her face up, confused. "How'd you mean?"

"Well, don't you remember anything Rogue?" She shook her head, and Hank questioned her again, "Well, tell me what you remember from the time when you left Ororo's office up until now."

Rogue went on to tell him about how she tried to go to Logan's room to talk, but had never made it, then on to her experiences in the danger room. "…And then I heard him calling me, telling me to wake up, but I was dead, but then…I just was here. But what exactly did you mean by my 'condition', and how'd I get here?"

Hank smiled warmly, and patted her shoulder. "Well, you were going through a stressful time, I understand, with your break up with Bobby, am I correct?"

She nodded.

"Well, all that stress built up, and you had what is called a panic attack. You hallucinated, and then blacked out. The impact from hitting the floor with such force, and the fact that you were in an unconscious state triggered a minor coma. Your being in the danger room, and the images you saw, all were a dream your mind had created while it stabilized itself."

"Oh. But it seemed so real, Hank!"

"These things generally do. But trust me, Rogue, now that you've snapped out of that coma, you should be okay. You just need a little resting time away from the world, and some encouraging friends. And even after you've been released, I suggest taking it easy for a while. Take up a relaxing hobby to unwind future stress. Don't allow stress to build up inside of you. Talk to someone about it, hmm?"

"Alright. I-"

"Hank!" Storm's head appeared in the doorway. It was obvious she'd been crying. "You've gotta come. Something's happened. Logan…" Her voice trailed off. Instead, her eyes focused on Rogue, who was staring at her. Hank excused himself, and he rushed out of the hallway.

Storm began heading down the hallway, Hank trailing slightly behind. "What? What is it, Ororo?"

"Logan. He…had another attack. This one is different, though."

She turned to face Hank as they stopped at the door of the danger room. "He's lost too much blood. And he isn't moving."

Hank slid the door open, and froze in his tracks. Storm had started crying softly behind him. Nothing Storm said could've prepared him for this sight.

Blood was on the floors, the walls, everywhere. Too much blood. If someone else had lost that much blood, there'd be no doubt in his mind that they were dead. But even with Logan's extraordinary mutation, Hank was still uncertain about the outcome.

His eyes traveled the room, and paused when they saw Angel kneeling by a motionless, red, leaking figure. Wasting no time, Hank rushed to the center of the room, and knelt by what he assumed to be Logan, since the body's features were unrecognizable. There was skin, but almost none. Loagn had torn away the the fine line of protection in his rage, and blood oozed out, in torrents, onto the already stained floor. Like a sick, swollen, yet sluggish river of blood.

Laying his head close to Logan's chest, Hank heard no heart beat. No pulse due to a severe lack of blood in the veins. There wasn't the slightest motion on the once great warrior.

Hank shook his head sadly.

The Mighty Wolverine was dead.


	8. Info Chappy, Not the Actual Story

Chapter 8: Info Chappy, Not the Actual Story

**Well, I have been a little unclear in chapter #7 it appears. In a recent review, I was asked why Logan's skin was still growing back. Now, to answer this, I admit it _is _a bit impossible to be healing when you're dead, as well as a few other things, which have been kindly pointed out by another reader. I realize now that it means I have to redo this chapter, but what the hey, it's short, and I need to tie everything together before continuing. So, having said that, I will give you 3 choices, and those of you who haven't voted yet, please do so before continuing, and to those who already have, sorry if this kinda messes up your previous reviews. So anyway, here they are:**

**1. Logan is truely dead, and Hank is correct.**

**2. Logan is merely on the brink of death, and is breathing undetectably. **

**Or, finally, **

**3. Logan is healing as they examine him, but undetectably slow, so they don't really notice. **

**Well, again, I'm sorry about mucking things up previously, and hopefully, with these revisions, you guys can get on with a clear mind! And, seriously, if you don't think something is right in the fic, send me a message, and I'll revise and fix the little plot holes I may leave! **

**Gracias, Amigos!**

**-Kat**


	9. The Rut Where Everyone Dies part 3

Chapter 9: Misunderstandings

**Well, I hope everyone had a good holiday! I know I did! But, anyway, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't as prompt as previous ones, but for some unknown reason, I wasn't able to login and post, so you'll have to see a therapist to get over it. Now, I hope you're all aware of the fact that Logan is currently dead. If not, then know he is. And for those of you who actually READ THE SUMMARY, you should know what's gonna happen next. And to all my following fans, I thank you for sticking with me! You guys are awesome! So having said that, enough chitchat. Enjoy this next bit!**

**Oh, and I know that once again this is a bit delayed, but I really don't have the time nor the energy to do them as close together. I'll be posting sooner, though, since I finally got my Internet back!

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**

The Mighty Wolverine was dead.

Hank shook his head, and locked eyes with Storm, who was still in the doorway. Trembling, she disappeared around the corner, but her echoing sobs lingered in the ears of the remaining two.

A single tear fell from Hank's eye, as he looked on at the hero who'd once stood invincible, seemingly permanent in the lives of those around him. It just goes to show that not everything is permanent.

"He's…gone, isn't he Hank?"

"Yes. He's gone."

"But his mutation…shouldn't it have prevented him from dying, Hank?"

"Yes, yes it should have, but I think that what happened was he pushed it too far. He used too much at one time. His use of so much at one time, not to mention the severe use of it recently, has taken its toll on him." Gazing at Logan, he stood to leave, grimacing at the blood staining his lab coat and slacks, but shook the feelings off.

Turning to face Warren, he motioned towards the door, and let the man walk in front of him, Hank watching as he hung back by the door.

He gazed about the room, and took in again more detailed the extent of Logan's damage. Not too much, considering what could've been done. A few shallow scratches on one of the walls closest to the body, and much blood adorned the walls and surrounding floor, but other than that, nothing else was detectable.

_It was a shame he had to die, he who was thought to be invincible, right before Rogue woke,_ thought Hank. He couldn't imagine having to break the news to her, especially now. But she'd want to attend the funeral, probably, and the burial, instead of seeing a fresh grave with a tombstone with his name on it. She would want to say goodbye.

All the thoughts churned in Hank's mind, and he began to walk slowly around the room, so as not to slip in the blood rivulets. Warren stood by the door, watching his blue friend, and he stared again at the body of Logan. It seemed like something out of a Freddie Kruger movie, not something you'd expect to see in life. But, then again, who'd expect to see anyone, anyone at all, in a state like this. He began to shake uncontrollably, but not too violently, and a heavy wave of nausea slammed into him, and he heaved on the ground, and then dry heaved when no more acidic bile could be pumped from his stomach. Hank was at once by Warren's side, holding him upright, and talking comfortingly to him.

Finally, after what seemed like a long time, the wave rolled past, and Warren leaned against a wall, gasping to catch his breath. All of this was too much. Rogue's coma, Logan's death, and all the fits in between, it was all driving him loonie.

Hank, noticing Warren's weakness, steadied him, and guided the exhausted figure to the Recovery room, and sat him down on one of the cots opposite of Rogue. She stared, horrified, at the massive amounts of blood on Hank's and Warren's pants.

"Hank, what the hell happened to you two?" she whispered.

Turning to face her, Hank replied quietly, "I...He…Logan-" He hesitated, wondering what all he should tell her.

Rogue's heart skipped a beat. Something was definantly wrong here. "What?"

He sighed, but decided he should just tell her. "Logan…he-"

"Hank!" Storm burst into the room, panting, and tears were on her face, but her expression was anything but sad. "There's been a new development."

Nodding to Rogue, he followed Storm out into and down the hallway, and just outside the door; Hank hesitated, knowing what lay behind that particular door.

"Storm," he said uncertainly, and he stood in an angle to prevent him from seeing what lay in the room.

"Just look," She whispered, and a soft smile settled on her face, and she took a few small steps into the danger room.

After a series of deep breaths, Hank gathered himself, and walked cautiously into the room, eyes downcast, avoiding what he knew to be dead ahead.

"Hank…"

He forced his eyes to move steadily up, and as they paused on the image of Logan, his breath went out of him.

There, in the midst of all the blood, was Logan, who was now covered in more skin than before, but still hardly enough. Deep gashes ran over the length of his body, but steadily, the wounds shrank. A slight movement in his chest was detectable, a sign of his breathing.

"My stars. But how…"

"I'm not sure, but I passed the room, and I felt I had to look, only once more, and…

"But how is it even possible…No, I can only imagine how something like this could occur."

Hank gathered himself, and headed to Logan's side, where he knelt lightly, Storm standing behind him. He began to examine Logan for any severe damage, something that might've been healed incorrectly, but no, everything was running smoothly. He'd be fine, aside from a few killer headaches following consciousness. He would also have complete memory of this attack.

"How is he?"

Standing, Hank wiped his hands on a clean part of his coat, and looked deep into Storm's eyes.

"He'll live…" She sighed in relief. "But with full memory of the attack he had."

She paled, and asked, "What'll be the effects of that?"

"He should have more nightmares, and occasional flashbacks triggered by heightened stress, but not much else."

Nodding, she walked carefully to the door, and called back, "I'll bring a stretcher."

With that, she whisked down the hallway, leaving Hank to stand marveling at the miracle of mutation.

* * *

Rogue watched the door as Storm and Hank lumbered into the room with a stretcher in tow. Tears gathered quickly in the corners of her eyes, and she suppressed a shriek as she saw Logan's body covered in claw marks still oozing blood. Putting two and two together, she shook her head in disbelief, tears flowing down her face. 

Hank, after placing Logan on a cot, wiped sweat from his forehead, and smiled gently at Rogue, who was still crying quietly.

"He'll be quite alright, Rogue. Don't worry."

With that, he and Storm slipped from the room, a glint in their eyes, hands linked.

When she was certain they had gone, Rogue slipped quietly from her cot, and crept softly to where he lay motionless, except for the soft chest falls. Her hands rested on the side of the cot, and a fat tear that slipped from her eye landed right where the final scar had faded.

The face slipped into a rare smile, but his eyes remained closed.

"Hello, kid."

* * *

**Ta-Da! Now, seriously, how could I kill off poor Logan? He was just temporarily out of it, since his mutation was a little worn out. But, as you can see it _finally_ kicked in, after some time. Better late than never! So now that we're outta this rut where everyone dies, we can get on with some more fluff and plot twists! So tune in next time! **

**-Kat**


	10. On With the Fluff!

Chapter 10: On With the Fluff!

**Well, I want to say thanks to all who sick by me, and hello to all the newbies! I have finally, as explained before, gotten out of the rut where everyone dies. But just cause there's no death doesn't mean there won't be DRAMA! And, for those of you who think this will turn out having Rogue and Logan sleeping together twice a chapter, pick another fic. I think it'll be more interesting if all that waits. Oh, and I don't know if I mentioned it before, but Rogue has learned to control her mutation, and only has to let it out occasionally to keep it from getting too built up.**

**So sit back, relax, and enjoy the chappy!

* * *

**

Rogue was glad to be back in her own room again, and out of that eerie Recovery Room. It was like a breath air, without the stench of pain, death, and lament hanging on to everything.

She was also internally pleased to find Kitty was in class, not the room when she first walked in. It wasn't that she didn't lover her roomie to death, because she did, but she needed a bit of time to settle back in before having to deal with Kitty's buoyancy.

Sighing, she slid into a faded pair of jeans and a light t-shirt with a pair of worn sneakers. She felt like soaking up the warm, late spring sun, not hanging around the room. Swinging her way down to the shed near the garage, she picked up some sprouts and a trowel, as well as some fertilizer, and headed to a far corner of the courtyard. Hank had recommended her to participate in some quiet, relaxing activities to keep her blood pressure in check. And Rogue remembered how in Mississippi, her mother loved working in the garden, working magic over the beds so they were swollen with color and fragrance. She had sat there on the porch swing, watching her mother garden, and would ask her how she got the plants to grow. Her momma would only smile, and wipe her forehead, drenched in sweat, and would answer, " All you have to do, Marie, is whisper the right words to the flowers, and it makes them want to grow."

"Really Momma?" she'd ask curiously, astonished that it could be that simple.

"Really, Honey."

"Well, what'd ya tell them, Momma?"

"I'll tell you when you're older, Sweetie. First, you watch me, and show me I can trust you with those words."

With that, her mother would swing her into a great hug. But her mother never got around to telling her. By then, she'd figured out that it really wasn't the words that made the flowers grow, but she'd always half-believed that there was some trick in them that made flowers grow like her mother's did.

Arousing herself from the memory, she pulled a wide-brimmed straw hat on her head, and got to work weeding out the barren flowerbed. She soon heard the students crossing the courtyard, chattering loudly on their way to class, but they took no notice of her. She was too far apart from them, and they were not thinking of anything but those in front of them.

Rogue preferred to be left in the quiet. It was nice to be able to hear the world around her, going on as always, but to not have to take part in its chaos, to be able to move at a pace of her own. She felt wizened beyond her years, as an old man, from whom the world held no secrets, should feel as another day drew to a close.

Slowly, the noise drifted away, and Rogue sat with her thoughts and company of the sun. She began to hum a soft song, and she dug her hands into the rich earth. She was so lost within her own world, that she did not notice a shadow fall beside her, until it spoke softly, "Hey kid."

She nodded her assent, and continued to work about the soil. Logan watched her quietly for a time, and then ventured forth another effort for conversation.

"What're you doin' over here, Rogue?"

"Planting."

He chuckled, faintly. "I could tell. But why all alone over here?"

"I like the quiet. It's nice for a change."

She turned to look at him, and saw his warm eyes, which sent a slight shiver down her spine. "And you, Logan? What are you doing over here? What happened to the hospital wing?"

"Too boring. Thought I could do with some sunshine."

"Uh huh." She stood, and brushed the dirt off her jeans. "Well, enjoy the sun, then. I better get inside and shower."

"I-"

"Bye Logan!" She dashed towards the building, leaving him behind. His eyes followed her into the building. She'd seemed a bit anxious to leave him there.

Logan's smile fell a bit, wondering why. A small voice spoke up. _Maybe she trying to avoid him._

_No, of course she wasn't. Why would she, anyway?_ Another voice inside his head countered. _What had he done?_

_You probably scare her a bit. _

_Why the hell would she be scared of me now? _

_You attempted suicide, Logan. _

Logan blinked, shocked. Was that it?

Nah, couldn't be.

_Why not?_

He was getting a little fed up with this conversation.

_Because Rogue's not like that._

_Sure. That's what you think. But how do you know that the thought of you hurting so much that you could just kill yourself wouldn't freak the daylights outta her?_

_It wouldn't. Rogue would sympathize._

'_Rogue would sympathize'. You're in denial. You know that she's scared that you could just up and kill yourself off just because of a little pain. _

_Stop it. Stop it now. _

_You would up and leave her. She thinks of you as strong, and the thought of throwing in the towel shakes her to the core. _

_Shut the hell up now. _

_And what if you were able to DIE, HUH? WHAT IF YOUR MUTATION COULDN'T STOP YOU FROM HITTIN' THE LIMIT? WHAT THEN?HUH?_

_I. Said. No. _

_Fine. But you know I'm not lying. _

"Logan?"

A voice from behind startled him from his thoughts. He turned to see Storm walking up behind him. "Logan, are you alright?"

"Just dandy." He muttered sarcastically.

Storm ignored him. "You're pale, Logan, and sweating. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I know that there's something bothering you."

"I said it's _nothing._"

"But-"

"Storm," Logan's voice was dangerously quiet now. "Leave it alone."

He turned on his heel, leaving Storm behind him.

She swore under her breath as she watched the door to the mansion slam shut.

"Damn."

* * *

Rogue was drying her hair as she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Just a sec," She called, slipping on some clothes, and hurried over to the door.

"Warren…" She trailed off as He held out a single rose, and said quickly, "Will you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

She hesitated, as Logan's face drifted into her mind. But, no, who knew how long he'd be around? And with all this suicide business…

She accepted the rose, and smiled at Warren. "Sure. When?"

"Tomorrow night. I'll meet you at 8 in the entrance hall."

"Great. See you."

Warren smiled, filled with relief. "Bye."

As she shut the door, she twiddled the rose between her fingers.

A date…

* * *

**Aww. My chappy is in its double digits! sniff. I remember when it was only a nine! **

**Now, not complaining. And I really am not gonna beg. but I must admit, with my birthday comming up, it'd be nice to get some reviews from y'all as a sort of present! Maybe? ****Well, I know it's been a while, but it makes it all the more worthwhile! **

**So, I know you really want to review this, so I'll leave you to it! Send me thoughts on the upcomming date!**


	11. Plot Devices and Emotions Revealed

Chapter 11: Plot Devices and Emotions Revealed

**Long time, no see, eh? I know, I know, I've been doing other stuff, but I agree that I need to spend a little more time with y'all. I work too much, and it's getting real boring. So, I've decided that on this weekend, I'm gonna stay home and write (basically since I'm sick, and can't do anything else).**

**As you remember when we last left off, Rogue had set a date with Warren. Now, if you mix in a distraction, romance, drama, and a little bit of Logan, you'll find a chappy with a long series of simple set-ups and revelations, sure to pack one hell of a punch! So, I think I've detoured enough, so on with the show!

* * *

**

A date…

Rogue sighed. She wasn't sure if she was really ready to date, especially after breaking up with Bobby so soon. Just thinking of the entire prospect blew her mind, though not in as good a way as she would've hoped. Still, she'd agreed, and it'd be rude to turn him down now, not 2 hours before the set time.

She paused, lost in her thoughts. She wasn't sure if she'd made the right choice by saying yes to Warren. He would've understood if she had said she wasn't ready to get out there again so soon…but she knew if it were with a different guy in different circumstances, she wouldn't have been so hesitant.

Shaking her head, she opened up the door to her closet, and started dragging out various articles of clothing. Nothing seemed right, but anything would have worked. It wasn't all that formal, just dinner at a slightly above casual restaurant, but she needed something that clicked. Something that would not only blow the socks off Warren when he saw her, but something to catch Logan's eye when he noticed her.

"Maybe I should just go in my bathrobe," she said nonchalantly, as she surveyed the mess throughout the room.

Turned out Rogue didn't have to settle for her bathrobe, as she pulled out a deep burgundy V-neck halter dress. _A tad overly formal, but it'll do._

Kitty came in just as Rogue was putting the finishing touches on her outfit.

"Damn, girl, where are you going, looking like _that_!"

Rogue shrugged. "Out to dinner."

"What, did Logan finally work up the back bone to ask you?"

"Logan?"

"Wait, it's not Logan you're having dinner with?"

"No, as matter of fact, it was Warren who asked me."

"Huh."

A small grin that had worked its way onto Rogue's face suddenly fell. "What, Kitty?"

Kitty perched herself on the edge of the bed, and picked casually at a loose thread.

"Oh, nothing. It's just I thought it'd be Logan who asked you. I just always pictured you with him, I guess."

"Why Logan?" Rogue's voice was gaining a slight edge to it, which Kitty sensed.

"Don't get all worked up over it, honey, it's no big deal."

"You said that for a reason, Kitty. Why Logan?"

Kitty sighed, and looked up at Rogue in the eye. "Well, you two just seem to fit together. Something about you when you're with him is…well, just different, I guess. Something's brighter, happier, I don't know…" Kitty paused.

"You two seem like more than friends, there's something deeper when it comes to you guys. And you're not the only one who acts different. Logan is way calmer, and a hell of a lot nicer when he's around you. More gentle. Kinda like he was with Jean, but not really."

"What d'you mean?"

"Well…. he was more aggressive, flirtatious, more wild with Jean. Like she was a chew toy he played with, just to piss Scott off, even though did he like her a lot."

Kitty stood up, and walked around the room, before standing right in front of Rogue.

"But with you, he's not like that. He's more in tune to you, like he doesn't have to rush things with you-"

" ' Rush things-?'"

Kitty held up a hand to quiet her. "He's deeper with you, Rogue. He trusts you to understand him, to accept him, to let him be whoever he is, and to still like him and be there for him. No matter what."

Rogue felt confused. What was Kitty even talking about? Logan was nicer to her than some, this she knew, but those other things were nipping at the edges of her mind. Did he, Logan, hardened, fierce, loving warrior, love her? Could that even be true?

Distracted, she glanced at the clock, and saw it was seven minutes till eight, making her remember she had to go meet Warren.

"Listen, Kit-Kat, I gotta go meet Warren. I'll be late if I don't go now."

Kitty just shrugged, and headed to the bathroom. "Fine. I'll see you later Rogue. Have a good time."

With a nod, she turned to open the door, and saw it already open, with Logan standing in the doorway. "What's up with the dress?"

Rogue hesitated, and mustered up a small bit of courage. "I-I have a …"

He looked at her, urging her to finish her thought.

"A-a date."

Logan's eyebrows shot up, and his mouth opened slightly, completely shocked. This was definantly not what he'd been thinking.

Swallowing hard, he searched for words. "I-okay."

Logan's lack of response ignited a flicker of anger in Rogue. " ' Okay', eh? That's all you can say?"

"I…guess not…"

"Uh huh. What is it you wanted, Logan?"

"Never mind, now, you've got your date to go on, so why should I even bother? Like you'd give a damn, always jumping to conclusions-"

"Oh I do, do I? And try me! What is it that you think that I can't handle?"

Logan looked at her hard, and with a single fluid motion, kissed her hard, but passionately. Then, he suddenly broke away.

"There. Have fun on your date." His voice was dripping wit sarcasm, and he was burning with rage at the fact that she hadn't said anything. Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the room. Rogue just stood there in the doorway, staring at the space where he'd once stood.

He'd kissed her, and she'd just stood there, completely mute. She stood there, completely ready to go, but her feet wouldn't move. There was only one thing she could do, now that Logan had stormed off. She would go tell Warren she wasn't up to it tonight, that it was too soon.

But, no, something told her that she couldn't leave him hanging there. She had to go.

Sighing, she picked up her handbag, and left. A tear slid gently down her face, and she wiped it away be fore Warren could see it.

* * *

Logan stood there in the hallway, watching her leave. He felt his heart rip from his chest, shredding itself into little pieces. He'd kissed her, but yet there she was, going off with someone else. It should've been him that Rogue went with.

_It's your own fault you know_, something inside him retorted. _You're the one that broke the kiss, and then stormed off like a prat_.

Logan was too numbed over from his last danger room session to even consider attempting something like that again. But as he stood there, he thought of something. He wanted to know what was so special about this guy she was going out with. Why was Rogue still going out with him, despite his kissing her?

_I wonder if she'll be happy with him tonight. _

_Well,_ started up that damn voice he didn't like, _the only way you'll know is if you follow them. _

He was mad that he even thought of doing that. He couldn't violate her privacy like that. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt like he needed to know how happy she was with this mystery guy.

_Look,_ he said to his inner voice. _I'll follow her for a little while _

_Fine,_ it breezed._ But you know, they say the first sign of insanity is talking to oneself. _

_Shut up._

Running down to the garage, he jumped on Scott's motorcycle, and paused as he reached out to turn over the engine. This wasn't right, running after Rogue to tail her on her date. He was getting out of hand. He needed to leave her alone, to let her live her own life.

"Damn my second thoughts," he muttered, as he pulled the key out of the ignition, starting back up towards the mansion.

* * *

Warren caught Rogue's hand as they entered the main hallway.

"Do want to do this again sometime?"

Rogue looked at him a moment, then shook her head slightly. "It's not that I don't like you, Warren, but it's just…I don't know if I'm ready. I just broke up with Bobby and all, and it was kinda hard to go on a date tonight. Still, I'm glad I did. But I think I need a break for a bit."

Warren smiled softly, and nodded. "It's no big deal. I'm just glad you went with me tonight."

"I'll see you Warren."

"G'night, Rogue."

" 'Night."

Rogue turned and headed up the stairs, but instead of going to her room, she walked right past the door, on down the hall, where she finally stopped moments later. She knocked softly, knowing he would hear her.

The door opened, and he stood in front of her, looking wrung out. Without a moment's hesitation, Rogue reached up and kissed him deeply. Logan, though surprised, angled his head, and returned the kiss. The stood like that in the hallway for sometime, before they moved inside the room, closing the door.

* * *

**Well, what d'you think? It's longer than normal, but who cares? And finally, FLUFF! ****I'm so happy with this, that I'm gonna celebrate with a coke float and pretzels!**

**R&R please!**


	12. The Good and The Bad

Chapter 12: The good and The Bad

**Hey, long time, no see, eh? Yes, I know this is really because of events on my hands, but these end-of-semester finals le suck, and not to mention the invasion of family! I'm gonna go nuts with all these people crammed in here! Ah, but this is my one sanctum, my breath of air that sets me straight. So, I'll add to this (can't promise too much of this, though) before re-fending off people. So, on with the** **show!**

**Oh, and I've decided to dedicate this chappy to all of those he read and review this, because you rock my world. Think of this as...an early Christmas present, kind of. Thanks to all who've stuck with this. I can't say thanks enough. Kudos to you!**

* * *

The smell of her hair was intoxicating, addictive as hell. Logan breathed in deep, lying next to her as he soaked in her warmth, her essence. He could do this forever. He leaned over slightly and stroked her soft, milky skin. She shifted slightly in her sleep, and turned to look at him, wide eyes opened. She smiled, and wrapped her arms around his wide torso. He growled playfully, and twisted so he lay on top of her, kissing her delicate flesh. She shrieked slightly in surprise, and twirled his hair in her fingers. Grinning wolfishly, Logan looked at her, kissing hard on Rogue's lips, then moved down her jaw line to the nape of her neck. She breathed deeply, and surrendered to him.

* * *

Logan looked over at Rogue, who lay breathing hard next to him, but smiling slightly. "Well," she began, a hint of pleasure in her voice, "that's always one way to provide a distraction." 

He smiled at her, loving every bit of her at that moment even more. "You know you liked it."

Rogue laughed. "Well…yeah."

They chuckled together, quietly, and Logan leaned in for another round of snogging. Rogue leaned back, and catching sight of the alarm clock on the nightstand, let loose a slight yelp.

Logan looked concerned, following her line of vision to the clock's digital face. "Damn! It's that late already? Storm'll have our asses if we get caught. We've got to get you back. Rogue," He said, noting the look in her eyes. "Really, we're being watched enough as it is. This was great, but we need to get you back. I'll be surprised if no one noticed your disappearance by now."

"Fine," she mumbled, collecting some clothes that were scattered around the room. "But the Logan I knew wouldn't have given a damn about Storm's opinion."

"Well, the Logan you knew didn't have to worry about someone else's well-being. Honestly, what d'you think people will assume if they see you like this?"

"Fine. But I'll need some new clothes. You kinda ripped mine…last night…"

"Right."

Striding to where an oaken dresser stood in the corner, he found a worn undershirt and some jeans, and tossed them to her. Nodding thanks, she slipped into them, and he smiled seeing her in them. "You can keep 'em."

"Thanks."

She looked a moment at the torn dress, then tossed it into a sack, and slung it over her shoulder. She looked at him, and then seemed to find herself in Logan's grip, kissing passionately. Logan mentally shook himself, then gently pushed her away. "Go."

Rogue smiled again at him, then left, leaving behind her strong scent and a slight feeling of longing in Logan. He wondered how in such a short time he could've become such a tame person compared to the wild beast he'd been when Jean had died. But he didn't want to think about Jean. Jean wasn't here now. Rogue was.

He fell backwards on the bed, and smelled her pillow deeply. Ahhh, that smell was intoxicating.

* * *

She managed to get down the hallway without running into another mutant. Fortunately, they were taking advantage of the weekend by sleeping in big-time. The floorboards right outside Rogue's door, however, ripped out a good creak as she rested her hand on the handle. But no one was awake to hear, and Rogue slipped inside the room stealthily, shutting the door with a soft _snick_. A small sigh escaped her as she leaned against the door. 

"Hey Rogue."

"GAHAHHHHHHHHHH!" Rogue started as Kitty exited the adjoining bathroom, and stared slyly at her roommate. She shook her wet hair out of her face, and turned to pull it up.

"So," Kitty began, eyeing her roommate, a coy smile playing lightly on her lips. "How was last night?"

Rogue remained silent, and moved towards the edge of the nearby bed.

"Wait…you _were_ with Warren, right?"

This time, Rogue looked as if about to answer, but rammed her mouth shut and merely nodded slightly.

Kitty raised an eyebrow, and walked to the window, then spun on her heel and marched over to Rogue. "Yeah, uh-huh, that's why _Warren_ was down here a couple hours ago looking for you to see if you wanted to go to brunch with him and a few other seniors. So don't bullshit me with that. Where'd you go last night then, hmm?"

Rogue shrugged, and then looked up at Kitty. Something in her eyes, as well as the familiar looking ensemble hit Kitty like a sack of bricks. So _that's_ where she was.

Rogue knew that look. "What are you thinking Kit-Kat? Er…why…"

"So how is Logan doing these days?"

She blushed furiously, trying to maintain control of her emotions, but failing. Kitty knew she'd hit pay dirt.

"Yeah, I thought so. Was he happy to see you? Well, I suspect he was, that was some kiss you shared-"

"KITTY! WHY"D YOU STICK AROUND? YOU REALLY SAW THAT? CAN'T A GIRL GET PRIVACY AROUND HERE?"

"Well, maybe if her roommate wasn't me…maybe."

Fine. So Kitty knew. She was bound to learn sometime. "Fine, it was Logan. Not that you need confirmation. But," Rogue paused threateningly. "You'd better clamp down on this piece of information, I'm warning you, or –"

"Okay, okay. So…How was it?"

Rogue looked shocked, but started to laugh. "Amazing."

"_Really?_" Kitty answered in mock suprise. Rogue socked her in the arm, laughing all the same. "Yeah, amazing. Way better than Bobby was, or ever will be."

And there they sat, the two of them laughing. They stopped short, however when a soft knock sounded on the door. Warren's head poked in, and Rogue broke out in a faint blush. He smiled at them, and said to Rogue, "Hey, I thought I heard you two. I was wondering if you were hungry, cause maybe we could go get something?"

Rogue cocked her head. "But wait, didn't you go get brunch or something? I thought Kitty-"

"Yeah, I was, but I wasn't in the mood to go eat sushi this early with the rest of them...But in the end, I just hung around here, waiting to see if you might want to do something later."

"I know," He continued, louder, as Rogue opened her mouth to comment. "That you don't want to date, and that's fine with me, but what's a brunch or two between friends?"

"I...guess, but really, I'm not hungry. I was actually going to work on that paper for 'Ro's class..."

"Hey, I still need to do that too, why don't we go to the library and do that together?"

"Umm..." Rogue shot a discreet pleading glance at Kitty, who got the message.

"Actually, Warren," Kitty intercepted, "some of the girls and I were going to kidnap Rogue later, and take her out. You know, since her break up with Bobby, she hasn't been the happiest.You know, the whole 'girls' night out, no guys allowed'. Sorry to spoil the suprise, though, Rogue. You don't mind, do you?" Kitty ended, feigning the perfect amount of bashfulness and hope.

"Er...no, I suppose I don't mind. Well, I'll see you then Rogue. Enjoy yourself."

"Great, I'll try. See you."

"Bye."

As his footsteps faded away down the hall, Rogue grinned wickedly at her friend. "That was some kick-ass lying! Seriously, I half-believed it myself!"

"Thank you, thank you very much." This recieved an eyeroll from Rogue.

"Yeah, okay Elvis."

"Yeah, but I figured you probably didn't want to hang with Warren after last night's adventure..."

"Yeah, yeah, enough. I need to shower if you don't mind."

"Be my guest." Kitty waved her arm in the direction of the bathroom, giggling. Rogue rolled her eyes yet again, and shut the door.

"Hey, I didn't know you could do such thinks with your eyes Rogue, I guess that's why Logan _loooves_ you!" Kitty shouted at the closed door.

"Shut it!"

* * *

A long shower had been just what the doctor ordered, as Rogue stood brewing about last night's activities. She kept going over in her mind the most minute details, over and over, as the hot water ran over her. Eventually, it ran out, and she grabbed a towel and got out. She felt amazingly refreshed, completely renewed of sleep and strength. It was glorious. As she threw on a pair of clean sweats, and ran a comb through her damp hair, she remembered the passion behind Logan's kisses, the tenderness. He'd picked her to love, and she revelled in it. He was simply amazing. 

Rogue found the room empty, much to her liking, and curled up with a book. It'd been awhile since she'd read, and it was nice to lose herself in someone else's problems. She followed the intense drama of a girl whose family had abandoned her, and how she found love after harsh mistrials and abuse. All in all, it was a fairly good book. But somewhere in the middle of the passion, she found herself thinking again of Logan, and slowly began to drift off...

* * *

She woke much later to find her room black and empty. The moon shone through the window, a faint crescent, and silence engulfed the room. But something felt wrong. There was something off, not quite right about this. Rogue couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was something. 

A slight rustling noise from the door distracted her, and she found herself looking at nothing. _It's all in your-_

Rogue didn't finish her thought, as she screamed silently at the face lingering next to her. He smiled softly as she tried to bite his hand without success. He let loose then a slight chuckle, and he shook his head. "My dear Rogue," He began, a lilt in his calm demeanor sending a shiver down her spine. "Do not fight me. You have been chosen above all others to help the sanctification of our planet."

_You sound like a damn cult leader or something,_ she thought bitterly.

"It will all be over soon. There will hardly be any pain." His voice then grew suddenly cold. "But if you resist, or make any mistake at all, I ...just ...might... make...a mistake of my own.If you resist, I can assure you that those who reside here will no longer be safe. And I would be very unhappy to have to carry out such a threat, but do not doubt that I will, if the need arises."

Then blackness overwhelmed Rogue, and she slipped deep into her subconcious. The figure smiled sadly down at her, and he kissed her forehead lightly. " But I am sorry that it had to be you, my dear. I am sorry."

* * *

**Ooh, a bit of a cliffhanger there, eh? I thought that this could do with one, seeing as it's the holiday season after all, and we could do with one of these! I want to see how many of you can guess who came in in the end, though I'll bet you'll have no trouble. It's kinda obvious, at least to me. And I just realized, this is the longest one yet! Man, am I proud! And I like the way this one turned out. I'll be wanting some reviews please, though I don't want to be pushy. So, I'll try to update soon, but in the meanwhile, have a good holiday season. **

**-Kat**


	13. Abduction

Chapter 13: Abduction

**Happy New Year everybody! Hope all y'all had fun watching the Times Square Ball drop, amongst other things. But anyway, I was a bit disappointed that this last chappy didn't get so many reviews! I mean, I really liked it, but hey, it's not _just _my opinion, I guess. But, oh well. So, with nothing further to add, here's the next bit. Enjoy!

* * *

**

Laughing, Kitty paraded into the room, swinging a nearly empty bottle in her left hand. With a loud whoop, she used her free hand to swing the door shut, and giggled at resonating bang, not bothering to stifle the sound. Laughing still, she swung herself down in a chair, and swigged the remaining contents of the bottle, then dropped it on the floor. She was disappointed when it didn't break, but merely rolled to one side of a nearby bed. Kitty's eyes swivled to the lump lying in Rogue's bed, and grinned crookedly. "Hullo! Sorry 'bout te noise..hahmmm"

Giggling again, she stumbled slightly to where Rogue's bed sat, and stretched out on the end. "R-Rouge? Wha' you doin'? "

She reached over and shoved The lump, and it moved easily off the bed, hitting the floor with a loud, muffled bump. Kitty sat up, head spinning, and leaned over the side, nudging the bundle. It remained motionless, silent. Shaking her head in attempt to clear the dizziness, she rolled off the bed, landing next to where the sheets lay tangled. "R-Rogue? Rogue? Rogue, hello?" The traces of drunkeness were fast in fading, as adrenaline surged rampant through her body. Something was really, really wrong. A shaking hand reached over to the mass, and whipped off the sheet. A bundle of bags and pillows lay strewn beneath.

"Rogue."

Numbly, she stood and stumbled out into the hallway, half-running towards his door. He would find her, he'd know. She _must _be with him. The idea slightly lessened the growing fear, barely dimmed the uneasy thoughts. The hallway seemed to stretch like a never-ending path before her, every door the wrong one. Anxiousness turned to desparation, and Kitty flew down the hall, legs pounding, heart pumping.

At last, Logan's door loomed on her left, and breathlessly she beat on the heavy door. Instantly, Logan appeared in the frame, shushing her, as he dragged her in. "What the hell do you mean, pounding away like that? You'll wake the whole damn school!"

As she stepped inside, breath heavy, he sniffed. Something familiar.."You smell like beer. What've you been drinking?" She merely shook her head, shrugging.

"That much? Storm's gonna have your ass-"

"Is-is she w-with you?" Kitty struggled to take in air as her body remained in a frantic overdrive.

"Who?" Logan eyed Kitty suspiciously as she spun in search of something, anything. "Rogue."

Logan's face seemed to harden, as he glared beadily at her. The intensity of the look was lost as she continued to attempt to control her heart rate. "How do you know?"

She glanced up, then quickly shifted her eyes to the window. taking a deep breath, she force out, "Rogue."

He continued to stare at her for a moment, then grunted approval. Yet something remained in his eyes, his manner. Something uneasy about her. "How much?"

"Everything. I-I know everything."

Kitty could tell he disapproved. "I figured it out, though. Most of it. Rogue..filled in the blanks."

A pause settled, but then Kitty remembered with a jolt why she was even here in his presence. "Logan," She resumed in an almost desparate voice, cracking around the edges with a hint of desparation. He appeared to notice, and gazed amusedly downward. "Is she with you here?"

Logan's head cocked ever so slightly, and confusion flitted across his face briefly. "No."

Kitty sank down then, cupping her head in her hands. She breathed in heavily, shuddery, broken beaths that wracked her body. Kitty moaned, cursing herself. Logan's concern took hold, and he pulled her up. "What happened?" He asked quietly, gripping her shoulders. She continued to sob, ignoring the question.

"WHAT - HAPPENED?" The hardness in his voice, the steel embedded in the simple words struck him, and Kitty whimpered at the strength of his grip. She was still crying, but at a lesser volume. Growling, he lowered her onto the bed, and paced, fighting his temper. At last Kitty's moans withered away, as she quieted, watching him. Noticing the new silence, he swung his head towards hers. She flinched. Logan's voice, tight with emotion, inquired,"What...happened?"

She looked away, then with a deep breath, answered. " I was drinking with some of the guys, and I came back to the room...and I sat on her bed, talking or something...but she didn't answer...so I shoved her-lightly-but it wasn't her-"

Logan was out before she could finish, striding down the hall to Rogue's room. He was shaking with fury, with disbelief. Kitty was drunk, that he knew, as she'd confirmed it. She had to be lying. Whether it was intentional or not, she _had_ to be lying. She _had_ to.

Reaching the door, he was suprised to find it open, the room, dark. Moonlight from the window trickled in, faintly lighting the dim room. He slipped quietly to where Rogue's bed was. One side was invisible to him, but he knew by the way the remaining sheets angled, that this was where..._it_...lay. Whatever "it" was.

Logan moved silently to where a disfigured mass lay on the floor next to the bed. Could this be...?

A lamp clicked on on the far side of the room, causing his body to tense. Swinging around, he met Kitty's eyes, now dull and afraid. Muttering to himself, he turned slowly around, facing the body. But it wasn't a body. Rogue wasn't there, as Kitty had said. It was just a pile of pillows and old cloth sacks, wrapped tightly in a sheet off the bed. No, his mind moaned. No.

A scent he had not noticed before wafted up from the sheet, and turning it over, he saw the small specks of red on the sheet. "No." He mouthed the words over and over, unable to say them aloud now. Logan flinched at a hand that rested lightly on his shoulder. Kitty. He heard the small gasp at the sight of the blood spatters that he now stared at, then the soft patter of fast footsteps as they exited the room, undoubtedly to fetch Storm and Hank. but he couldn't bring himself to look away, to care the slightest.

He surrendered to his senses, letting them confirm what he'd already been certain of-Marie's absense. But as he allowed himself to slip into this trance-like state, he found himself aware of another presence in the room, too faint to be there with him now. But that scent...it was familiar. He knew it, something deep in his mind told him he did. He sifted through his archives, comparing it with scents from as far back as he could remember. It hit him. Hard. Logan slammed a fist into the pillow, pushing out a few feathers, furious with the result. But it fit, it made sense, but he didn't want it to. Rogue was with him now, undergoing God knows what. Oh, Rogue.

_Magneto._

_I am gonna hunt you down, you bastard, and you are going to die._

Logan's thoughts churned, and amid the boiling, frothing foam of hatred and anger, he felt himself slipping away. Like someone was flicking off his internal switches, one by one. He wasn't blacking out, it wasn't going blurry, but he felt like he was disjointed from the rest of his body. Something new then, something more..._powerful_, was hitting the switches, turning on new ones. Now, more in tune, extra senses sampling the room, it saw a haze...Magneto's haze, drifting in a path before him like a mist. He let rip a primitive howl, blood chilling and full of a language lost. It bounded out of the room, following the mist.

Hunting time for The Wolverine.

* * *

Blackness, swirled with jots of color, swimming swimming in her mind. It was beautiful. Just floating amid the colors, no pain.

Light, piercing, blinding white light, and moving shadows. Muffled grunts, vibrating the air, scaling between diffferent pitches. Deep growl, pain, blackness again.

Faces contrasting the colors, unnamed faces, floating, floating. Colors, Blackness.

* * *

Wet. Something was wet, all around, with her hair billowing around her head gracefully. Trying to scream, throat clogged, still breathing. A groggy hand drifted towards her neck. Breathing tube. Blurry images, like those in a fun house, slid artfully around her, the pretty colors moving around.

This wasn't so bad, the water. She liked the water, and, there wasn't pain, or cold, or heat. Or_ anything_. It was all numb, every sense. She tried to inhale through her nose. It was clogged, like her throat. The only think she could feel was the water. And the pounding silence.

_(static) Hello Rogue. It's good to see you finally awake._

Hey, she knew that voice, it was one of the constant talkers in her head. Magneto.

She tried to speak, but was once again chokoed by the tube.

Magneto's voice chuckled. _Yes, you see, that tube does prevent you from saying all the nasty insults you wish to say, but can't. But do not worry, the tube is only temporary, my dear. For you see, we have plans for you. (static)_

_

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_

**Finally, another chappy up! I'm kinda unsure about the length of Rogue's POV, but I think it'll suffice. **

**So, w****hat d'yall think, eh? I'd love to hear from you, as always, so don't hesitate about anything! Have a good weekend! **

**-Kat**


	14. In the Tank

Chapter 14: In the Tank

**Hey everybody! Hope the journey back to school hasn't been too painful. Ugh, mine has. I sincerely miss the time to do whatever I wish. But, the only reason I miss break so much (I normally love school) is because of all the tests and pressure. It _le sucks_, as a good friend of mine would say. **

**So, this chappy is mainly from Rogue's POV, kinda a filler, but not entirely. I guess I'd call it a bit of an info chappy. And, along with being short, it's gonna divulge many of the evil themes behind this towards the end.**

**Mwahaha! All must bow down or DIE! Yes, my evil plot will soon be known. Until then, read on, read on!

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**

The water was supposedly warm, around 72 degrees according to the thermostat on the opposite side of the confinement tank, but Rogue couldn't feel the warmth. With no physical activity to keep her amused, all her mind could piece together were theories on why she was here, why she was needed...

Her ragged breathing continued in that steady, gasp-like sound, thanks to the tube. That damn tube. It made her throat feel thick and sore, chafing the sides with its ridged edges. It annoyed the hell out of her, but it comforted her, as it was the only thing she could feel. The only thing that made noise. No one bothered to talk to her after Magneto left, so the only thing other than the pounding silence was her breathing.

She couldn't move, either. After Magneto left, cape billowing out behind him, she had tried to remove the tube. It wouldn't come out, and the effort made her throw up. The had chained her to the bottom of the tank, enough chain however, to keep from resting entirely on the bottom. Now she had people watching her from the outside, on a screen in some other room. After restraining her, they had put in some type of water-proof camera thing, that sat there quietly, watching. She was alone in the room.

Time became indefinant. Minutes seemed like hours, hours like days, but it all could have been only a short period of time. She cried for awhile, but couldn't feel the tears in the pool around her. Rogue got hungry, and thirsty, and began to struggle to get free. She wanted to get out, to go back to Logan, and Storm and Hank, and all the other mutatnts. But she was stuck.

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she moved her head slightly to see lights on the door blinking, and the smooth movement of the door sliding into the wall as two figures walked in, accompanied by a dozen or so others behind, who stood around the door. The front two, though, she recognized immediately as Magneto...and Mystique? but Mistique, something had happened to her, though. Rogue remembered Logan mentioning she'd had the cure.

But...then why was she blue?

(_static) Hello Rogue. I see you've had some new additions to your tank. How've the last 6 or 7 days been, hmm?_

Damn. Nearly a week she'd been in confinement. Nearly a week she'd spent in a tank.

_Of course_, Magneto continued,_ you have only been awake 3 of those 7 days. So I was curious about whether or not you'd like to get out of that tank for awhile. But, do not think that you will be without supervision. I will have eyes everywhere, my dear. So, shall we get you out of there? _

He waved his hand, and the chains fell off, coiling up on the floor. Rogue's eyes widened, and she looked from them to him, shocked. He smiled.

_There are many things that will be explained in time, Rogue. _

_(static)_

She felt a sharp yank, and her eyes welled up with tears at the agony from the lack of the tube. Tasting the sour, metalic blood, she heaved, but was unable to vomit anything from her shrunen, empty stomach. There was so much pain. Her throat felt like it was collapsing in on itself, numbing as the pain increased.

Rogue was lifted out of the tank, and placed on a icy metal table, and thrown a towel. She shivered, unable to move.

"You will be given morphine for your throat. It should end in an hour."

With that, Magneto and his entourage swept out of the room. A twinge of pain in her forearm alerted her to the presence of the needle, which brought the sweet, numbing morphine into her. It moved around, soothing the pain, leaving her as unfeeling as the tank had. But this numb wasn't so bad. It was a relief to be out of the wet.

Her eyes became heavy, and she surrendered to sleep, to the dark, not truly caring about the fact that her fate lay in the mercy of her captors.

* * *

**Okay, so I lied, there's not much in this chappy to go by. But, as a bonus, I've decided that instead of having only one super shappy, I'm going to have a couple average/short chappys. So, to follow through, I'm gonna post again today, so all will be good in the world. But I hope that y'all will still review this one as well as the other. Please? **

**Okay, think on that. **

**-Kat**


	15. The Anticure

Chapter 15: The Answers

**Okay, okay, I understand I didn't exactly post on the same day as I said I was. I acknowledge that, and I really am sorry. I found out that I had a few tests I needed to study for, and a bit of Algebra, so that all kind of delayed the whole process. Plus, writer's block is a most annoying thing. So, enough excuses. This chapter is gonna be pretty much about Rogue's dilemma's. I haven't exactly decided about yea or nay to Wolverine being in this one, so be prepared to face both. Oi, I'm rambling again, eh? Sorry. Off we go!**

**

* * *

**

The noises came to her in patches, not entirely complete conversations. Just snippets, a lot of it concerning her. A few times, or rather, once, she'd heard Magneto's voice. Strange as it was, she couldn't move, or speak, but just listen in her commatose state. So she listened, and slept. The sleep, the sleep was a relief to her tired body, worn down by days of insomnia and resistance. She felt so at ease, though a small whisper told her not to, to be alert. Logan. He was whispering to her now, often, his voice a light in her darkness. It comforted, and advised, but as a pricking sensation brought the darkness back, she tuned out Logan, and drifted away.

* * *

Light, searing, white-hot light poured into her slitted eyes, as she hissed at the pain it brought. She detected a shuffling noise to her left with an abnormal sense, flinching at its volume. 

"Hello Rogue." She shrieked at the pitch, clamping her hands over her ears as her eardrums

A booming chuckle sounded, though not loud enough to be painful.

"I see things appear to be working then."

What the hell was he talking about, "things?" Wait-did he have something to do with-with the hearing...

"Yes, Rogue, I believe you have noticed your hearing is a bit...finer than it was when you last were concious. But, not to worry. You'll be fine. After awhile, you should be able to adjust to the noises, to the sensitivity. _Logan_ did, you know."

Rogue froze, eyes snapping open.

"Logan?" She mumbled in a low tone, disbelief etched on her face. What did he mean, "Logan did?"

"Ah, yes, we picked up your little friend outside our facilities, looking for you. It took a bit of an effort to bring him down, I'll admit. He was in a state of fury quite beside his normal state. We lost a fair few of our own numbers, but to have him, here, is worthy of nearly any price. Especially with all he's been able to do for us." He chuckled, and paced lightly about the room. "And to have the key to his will, sitting right in our lap, is just too good. I'm suprised at how much he values your life, how much he was willing to give to us to keep you safe. Not that his concerns make any difference."

Magneto paused almost menacingly, satisfied with the angry, horrified look on her face. "Yes, I do believe you know Logan, _quite_ well, I've found. You see," He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a barely audible breath. But her enhanced hearing picked every syllable, every insignifigant emotion beneath those words, as if they were being spoken plainly to her. " I've...gained...interesting things from Logan. Like, his...memories. His...weakness." Magneto brushed his fingers lightly along her jaw, her heart thudding loudly as adrennaline flushed in her. "His DNA."

"His DNA?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not being entirely clear on the specifics. His _mutation_, I meant. You see, when we finally were able to extract it from him, with a little... _persuasion_, we ran a few tests on it, and we were able to refine it into a...drug." Magneto smiled a wicked cheshire cat grin as his meaning took hold. "An anitcure, you could say. And you my dear, are the revolutionary subject. Your new senses have proved this anticure sucessful."

"No." But even as she denied it, she became even more aware of her surroundings. The smell of antisceptic, and sterilized metal, the pungent odor of mutants surrounding her. She could almost see where each had been, as if they left lingering trails in their wakes. She could sense each individual one, different, but still somewhat similar. It was strange, dangerous, how _advanced_ her new senses were. This must be how Logan saw the world. Wait. _If_ Logan_ could sense like this...and the anticure...and_-_and she...was...?_

"Yes. You're a mutant now, Rogue. And you will lead us in our revolution."

He drew back away, smiling. But a glimmer of sadness flickered faintly in his eyes as he left, conflicting with his words and manner. But, it smothered quickly, leaving doubts of its presence in Rogue's clouded mind.

"Put her in a containment cell, over in the south wing. Rogue has some thinking to do."

"NO!" She screamed, tearing at her binds. The others in the room drew in, driving her mind wild.

A thud, darkness.

* * *

Rogue woke, her head pounding, outside. It was crisp, nearing the Canadian autumn, and the trees were gaining the slightest color. God, how long had she really been in that place? 

Outside. She was outside. Somehow, someway, she'd managed to get free, and get outside. But she couldn't stay here. She had to get back, back to the mansion. She had to warn them, to alert them of all that was happening.

She rose into a low, crouch-like position, and took in her surroundings. Sniffing the air, she couldn't detect any human or mutant scents, none of her previous captors. Rogue again reveled in her perception, how not even the slightest of things escaped her notice. It was exhilarating, the sharpness of it all. Exhilarating, but slightly frightening.

As she scanned the veiw, which was amazingly beatuiful, utterly welcoming after the bland time period spent in captivity, she wondered at her life previously. It was hard to recall the memories of before and be able to bask in the splendor, when everything seemed so dull compared to now. Like she was watching a color movie, after having watched one in black-and-white. The difference...it was indescribable. How could she have shuffled through life before, and never been able to see as she did now?

Another thing. If she had really been given an-an _anticure _as Magneto had put it, did she have his healing ability too? _Well, only one way to find out_, she thought numbly. Picking up a nearby jagged rock, she dug it into her palm. Pain poured in as her blood slipped out for a slight moment. Then, before her eyes, it sealed itself up, not even leaving a scar._ That's convenient_. She tested it in various ways, flinging herself off of high rocks, pricking herself with random items, marveling at this newfound mutation as she healed each time. Still, Rogue didn't push it as far as severing a limb, or a stick through the heart, or anything severely life-threatening. No need to test fate. Besides, she really needed to get going. Damn. She was wasting time, acting like a child, when she had to hurry, to warn the others and get Logan _out._

Her eyes flicked over it all. It seemed safe enough. Rogue was sure she was alone with herself, other than those who lived in the wild where she stood. Brushing dirt off her pants, she twisted in the direction she knew the mansion to be in. She jogged, feeling as if she needed to warm up so as not to risk an injury. _Wait, an injury. Hah. Like_ that _would be much of a problem._ Shaking her head, she poured on the speed, her humor disappearing with the landscape behind her. Every step seemed to bring more dread, more worry for the rest of the mutants at the mansion. Without Logan there, who knows what could've happened. She urged herself on, ignoring the oncomming feelings of exhaustion. She felt the urge to breath in deeply, and for some reason, braced herself for an impact. A wall loomed ahead, and she was going to hit it. Probably too wound up in my thoughts to notice a damn wall. Driving her legs into the ground in a split-second attempt to brakes, she fell, but continued towards the wall. Sliding uncontrollably fast, she hit the solid wall, and blacked out.

* * *

"Incredible. Simply incredible, my dear. Your mutation is exquisite." 

"Don't say that."

He shrugged, undeterred. "As you wish. I couldn't help but notice how easily you fall into your predatory mode, how well you can adapt. Your intense awareness. Your quick logic. Your speed..." Magneto paused. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going?"

"No."

"Around an average of 117mph. When you first started getting up to speed."

Rogue struggled to maintain an indifferent appearance as she wowed over her speed. _117, just getting up to speed..._

"It was brilliant to watch you. Think, we would be nearly _unstoppable_ if you were there with us on the frontlines. With our anticure, we would be able to bring the world into the evolution that is mutation, getting rid of anyone who dare stand in our way. Think about it, Rogue. Never having to worry about being an outsider. You, a respected mutant, along with the rest of the world, with no one to hurt you for being what you are. A mutant."

"You're insane."

He chuckled, and Rogue winced slightly as it reached a magnitude that hurt her ears. Magneto noticed, and dropped his tone. "No, I assure you I am quite sane, as you should come to see in time. But, please, consider doing things the easy way. I know you don't want me to have to get persuasive. For, need I remind you, I have the ultimate key to your acceptance. You know of whom I'm speaking."

Rogue looked away, feeling defeated. Her "freedom" had been a guise, a way of testing her strength and durability.She realized that now. Now that Magneto knew what she was capable of, he would be able to plan around it, and to plan for it. She'd given up an essential survival card in the game, which could cost her her one chance of escape.

And he knew it.

"Take her to the lockdown cell with our other guest," Magneto said, turning to one of the other mutants in the room. Rogue's head lifted slightly. Was she going to get to see Logan? How would he react to see her like...this? As a mutant, again?

Magneto turned to her. "As we only have one containment cell tht will hold someone of your abilities, you will be bunking with your good friend the Wolverine. I'm sure you won't mind," he jeered, and edge to his voice, cold and harsh.

She was shackled, and a fifth mutant approached with a steel bar, a good few inches thick, and a sack. She paled slightly. "Ah, well, we wouldn't want you to be able to find your way back here, should you manage," he said with a underlying hint of humor, "to escape. Till next, Rogue, my dear."

The bag slipped over her head, and a thunk on her head told her she was going unconcious. _Logan...I'm going to see Logan_, were her final thoughts as the darkest realms called her like a siren.

* * *

**THERE! I did it, after a good 3 HOURS! But, still, I don't much mind. I do hope y'all appreciate it. **

**I'm gonna dedicate this chappy to all who read and like my fic, beacuse you've made it to this point with me. Thanks. Aw, I feel soft now. I should go watch a sad movie and cry. Well, I'll do that. Hope y'all liked this chappy. I think it was kinda cool to have an anticure in here, but I'd love to hear your opinions. **

**-Kat**


	16. A Brief Note

Chapter 16 1/2: A Brief Note

**Hola! I hope y'll missed me! I know I've missed being on faqnfiction for so damn long!!!!**

**Okay, I want to apologise to all the people who may or may not keep up with this fic, since I know I've not updated in ages. So sorry. This spring has been hell, between track, 3rd Quarter cram, teams, clubs, applications for an academy, summer camp stuff, youth group...the list goes on and on. Still, I know I shouldn't have left this hanging for so long. **

**So, right now, I want you to be aware that I AM in the process of updating this. I plan to do at least 3-5 more chapters, but I might put in more if necessary. Or more if I get some insight from you guys. **

**PLEASE BE PATIENT. I'm doing all I can to balance this and finals, plus a paper or two. I cannot be certain how long it'll be between updates, but know that there will be updates. For sure. Just...hang with me here. **

**If you get the chance, I'm going to be doing a Phantom of the Opera fic as well. It's a bit on the serious side, dabbling into religion (an exiled preist is a main character) and Erik's life post-Opera Populaire, so check it out sometime. Till next, y'all!!!!!**

**Kat**


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